Multifunctional distributed analysis tool and method for using same

ABSTRACT

A multi-function, intelligent, distributed analysis test tool (MFDAT) suitable for performing maintenance on complex, 5 sophisticated electronic systems. MFDAT replaces ordinary test instruments such as spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, power meters, frequency counters and digital multimeters with modular virtual test instruments that perform the identical functions but use a single display and human interface. Setup  10  information stored internally allows automatic selection and set up the instruments for a particular test. MFDAT provides a “virtual” system to the technician whereby when a second system under test is unavailable, a previous good reading stored by MFDAT is available for comparison. MFOAT provides 15 three operating modes that allow the operator to develop, modify, or refine test procedures, use the embedded test instruments as they would use standard instruments, or to step through predefined test procedures. A go/no-go portion of MFDAT prevents a technician from proceeding past an 20 unacceptable measurement.

CO-PENDING, PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This Continuation claims priority benefit of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/799,591 filed on May 2, 2007, titled “MultifunctionalDistributed Analysis Tool and Method for Using Same” having MarkBazemore named as the inventor and which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/797,603, filed May 4, 2006,titled “Multifunctional Distributed Analysis Tool and Method for UsingSame” having Mark Bazemore named as the inventor, and both the '591 and60/797,603 applications are incorporated herein by references as if setforth in full below.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its figurescontain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure, but otherwise reserves all copyrightswhatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to test equipment for complex systems and, morespecifically, to a multi-function, distributed, comprehensive analysistool for testing complex systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Evolution in technology has made possible more and more complexelectronic and electro-mechanical systems. Large-scale systems maytypically be found in such fields as radar, sonar cable television,broadcasting, television, air traffic control, and satellitecommunications systems, to name a few. Currently most organizations thatown such large scale electronic systems (e.g., the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),United States Navy (USN), United States Air Force (USAF), United StatesMarine Corps (USMC), United States Coast Guard (USCG), and United StatesArmy (USA) utilize general purpose test equipment to maintain and repairtheir systems. Such general purpose test equipment usually consists ofsingle-purpose instruments like oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers,digital multimeters, logic analyzers, and network analyzers, etc.Technicians typically require weeks of training to acquire sufficientknowledge to operate these various instruments and to properly interprettest results obtained therefrom. Further, such test instruments, for themost part, have no method of storing and recalling the results fromprevious tests. Therefore, there is an inherent reliance on thetechnician's experience and memory to understand current test results ina historical context.

In addition, preparing such general purpose test equipment to perform agiven measurement requires setting numerous controls to their correctvalues/positions so that test results may be viewed and interpretedcorrectly. Technicians are most familiar and experienced with testinstruments that they use on a routine basis. Test instruments that theyuse infrequently are often, coincidentally, more difficult to operate,which results because such instruments typically require a greaterdegree of interpretation by the technician. In addition, the use andset-up of test instruments is rarely a primary training objective inoperation and maintenance schools for complex electronic systems.Consequently, in typical training courses, the test instruments are onlycovered in enough detail to support basic tests on the system beingtaught or under test. There appears to be an inverse relationshipbetween the amount of training received and the proficiency required touse many of the more complex test instruments, for example, spectrumanalyzers and oscilloscopes. In the long run, this tends to introducetwo types of errors into the test process, which affect the quality ofthe maintenance performed on the system under test. The two types oferrors are: errors attributed to incorrect setup of the test instrumentitself, and errors attributed to incorrect interpretation of the resultsfrom the test instrument. These shortcomings can be significantlyreduced or eliminated through the introduction of standardized testingprocesses and test equipment for complex systems.

The majority of current testing technologies rely on human experienceand interpretation to derive test results. While oscilloscopes areexcellent devices to display waveform characteristics, specificallyperiod (time), voltage, and wave shape, they rely on visualinterpretation by their user to achieve a result. Spectrum and networkanalyzers provide data that is filtered through fast Fourier transforms(FFTs) and differential equations before display. As with oscilloscopes,the results of FFTs require visual interpretation for analysis.

In the case of an oscilloscope, there is only simple conversion from anelectronic signal to a visual representation thereof involved. Withspectrum analyzers, there is a conversion and derivation of a group ofsignals required to develop a visual representation. In other words, thedisplayed result of a spectrum analyzer or the like is not easilymanually linked to one or more input signals.

An instrument that could convert such input signals to digital form andnormalize the signals could provide more consistent analysis and removea technician's perception errors from the test results. Such aninstrument could significantly narrow the kinds, frequency, and degreeof errors made by the technician, thereby improving the measurementprocess by reducing operator error. Such an approach is used in thesystem and method of the present invention.

Another shortcoming of prior art instruments is that specialized testinstruments rarely, if ever, can recall measurements taken at a giventest point for comparison with a current measurement. The lack of thisability in current maintenance practices on complex systems demandsadditional effort on the part of the technician, reduces theavailability of the system. under test, and increases the overall costof system ownership. It is estimated that the cost of technical trainingof maintenance personnel contributes approximately 20% or more to thecost of the employee. It is also estimated that training costs arelikely to continue to increase with the increasing complexity of systemsrequiring maintenance.

The majority of advanced technical schools are designed to familiarizethe technician with operational aspects, components, data flow, signalpaths, and the capabilities of the system upon which they are beingtrained. The knowledge gained in training programs at such trainingschools is volatile and, when not in use, tends to degrade and quicklydissipate. This in turn requires recurrent and expensive retraining oron-the-job training of technicians, which, in turn, limits theavailability of both the system under test and the technician while thatretraining takes place.

The reference materials for large scale systems are typically technicalmanuals developed explicitly for each system. These manuals are usuallythe basis for the training curricula for the system courses includingany computer-based training. The manuals, in hard copy form, may bethousands of pages long and include thousands of diagrams. Finding thenecessary text and/or diagram(s) pertinent to a particular maintenanceor troubleshooting task may be time consuming if not almost impossible.The search process may break the technician's train of thought as wellas consume valuable time. Even when the manuals are available in digitalform, their lack of integration with the test environment still slowsthe technician in the performance of his or her duties.

The system and method of the present invention, on the other hand,integrates necessary technical manuals into the test environment,thereby significantly reducing the technician's loss of focus on thesystem under test. This lowers the amount of time spent acclimating thetechnician to a specific area or component of the system. Additionally,using relational database techniques, the interactive help feature ofthe present invention is synchronized with the component that is beingtested and analyzed. In other words, the technician saves time inlocating the correct text or diagram in the manuals as the inventive.system automatically locates such text or diagram depending on theparticular component, sub-assembly, area, etc. of the system beingtested.

Owners of complex systems, for example, the aforementionedorganizations, generally maintain large and expensive technical supportstaffs for those systems. These technical support staffs are eitherdeployed on-site or remotely from the systems. Typically, the remotesupport staffs have the more expert technicians who may, for example,have access directly to technical support personnel at the manufacturerof the system being maintained. Communication between the remote and theon-site support personnel is normally accomplished by email, videoconference, and voice communication. Unfortunately, today's testequipment generally does not support interactive technical support. Thegoal of the many organizations owning complex systems is to reduce thenumber of on-site technical support personnel. This goal places greaterdemands on fewer personnel and increases reliance on the remote supportstaff to reduce onsite expert visits. The system of the presentinvention integrates interactive remote support capability by, forexample, applying recent personal computing and communications advancesto support near real-time technical interactivity. The use of theinventive system, therefore, has a significant positive effect on therequired number of on-site technical support occurrences, the amount ofsystem downtime, and duration of the downtime incidents.

While innovative analytical techniques have been employed in mechanicalsystems to identify and predict failure modes, rates, and frequencies,these techniques have heretofore not often been applied to many complexelectronic systems. Many software techniques that have previously beenapplied to spatial and pattern recognition systems may, however, also beapplied to electronic waveforms and signals. Until recently, one problemwith applying such techniques to the analysis of waveforms in themaintenance environment has been the lack of the necessary computerprocessing power required to support such analysis. The test system ofthe present invention uses such techniques because microprocessors arecurrently available which provide such processing capability. Advancesin processor capabilities, software, and database technologies allpresent an opportunity to apply adaptive logic, heuristic, or neuralnetwork models that can run on microprocessors such as those found inpersonal computer class machines. These advances also provide thecapability to adapt complex models that can replicate a complex systemunder test with a far greater degree of accuracy and detail than hasheretofore been possible. Such modeling is also provided in the systemof the present invention.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some of the embodiments of the present invention,there is provided a multi-functional, intelligent, distributed analysistest tool (MFDAT) suitable for performing maintenance on complex,sophisticated electronic systems. The MFDAT is an integration of threedifferent technologies to form an intelligent test tool. In oneimplementation, MFDAT uses modular virtual test instruments in aportable chassis. Ordinary test instruments such as spectrum analyzers,oscilloscopes, power meters, frequency counters, and digital multimetersare replaced with modular virtual test instruments that perform theidentical functions but use a single display and human interface,typically a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse), to control allof the instruments. This reduces the number of pieces of test equipmentthat a technician must carry and store. In addition, the portablechassis uses a standard personal computer central processor unit thatruns on the Windows® or other well-known operating system. Each modularinstrument is controlled by and sends measurement results to the CPU sothat the technician can use the keyboard, monitor, and mouse to acceptor reject settings, review the technical manuals pertaining to thespecific portion of the system being tested, and select which instrumenthe or she wants to use.

The MFDAT has three operating modes that may be selected by the operatorat start-up, assuming he or she is duly authorized for the particularoperating mode selected. Operating modes are provided which allow theoperator to develop, modify, or refine test procedures, use the embeddedtest instruments as they would use standard instruments, or to stepthrough predefined test procedures.

Setup information stored by MFDAT allows the computer to automaticallyselect and set up the instruments for a particular test routine. Thisreduces the technician's workload by removing the tedious setup andadjustment routines. In addition, this setup automation eliminatestechnician error previously occurring in the setup of specialized testequipment of the prior art. However, flexibility to adjust and set upthe instruments to the technician's preference is preserved so that,should he or she require a different view (.e., setup; configuration,etc.), the new configuration may be set up and saved when using theMFDAT system in an administrator mode.

The MFDAT system allows technicians to save their setup, notes, andresults. This allows for viewing previous test setups and results andfor comparing them to current setups and results. Thus, the technicianmay readily see whether the system being tested is still operatingnormally (i.e., as it was operating during the time when the previousmeasurements were made and saved). This feature is extremely helpful toa technician when troubleshooting complex systems, especially when thereis only a single installation of the system at the site. When multiple,identical systems are installed at a site, the technician may, ofcourse, compare a reading of one system to a similar reading obtainedfrom a different system. In other words, for purposes of comparison, theMFDAT system provides a “virtual” system to the technician. Comparativetroubleshooting between two identical systems is one of the easiest andfastest methods of determining where a problem exists. When a secondsystem is not available, the next best thing is to be able to see acomet result, for example, a previous good reading stored by MFDAT.

When the MFDAT operator (i.e., technician) is troubleshooting, he or shemust have access to documentation (e.g., technical manuals) for thesystem under test. Such technical manuals may be large, multi-volumedocuments that may contain as many as 20,000 diagrams. Searching for andfinding the correct page to view, and then the correct spot on the page,both consumes time and distracts the technician. Breaking his or hertrain of thought often causes the technician to repeat steps to regainhis or her perspective. MFDAT automatically displays the correctdiagrams according to the test point currently being evaluated. Thissaves time in a number of ways. First, the technician need not siftthrough thousands of diagrams. Second, the technician is not distractedby the time taken to find the necessary text or diagram so he or shedoes not repeat steps. Third, the technician wastes no time indetermining where on the diagram the test point is located.

When the technician is looking at a test point on MFDAT, he or she canalso look at both the current and the historic test readings or results.This aids the technician by providing a quick visual reference (display)of what the test point is supposed to look like, and whether the currenttest point reading is within a predetermined tolerance. A “trafficlight” indicator quickly tells the technician whether the currentreading is correct. When operating in the administrator model thetraffic light verifies the accuracy of the reading. When operating inthe maintenance mode, the traffic light controls whether the technicianmay proceed to the next step in the procedure.

The traffic light indicator is typically a three-color indicatorarranged in the likeness of a traditional traffic light. The trafficlight's colors are set to green if the reading is well within thepredetermined range of acceptable values, yellow if-the reading iswithin the predetermined range of acceptable values but historical dataindicates some degradation, and red if the reading is outside thepredetermined range of acceptable values. While a “traffic light” havingtraditional red, yellow, and green colors has been chosen for purposesof disclosure, it will be recognized that either other distinctivecolors, forms, or devices may be used to provide similar indications tothe technician. It will also be understood that this function may beaccomplished by other means, examples of which are a display of keywords such as “normal”, “degraded”, and “malfunction”; or by a bar graphwherein a single bar rises and falls within a range that encompasseszones for normal, degraded and malfunction, and others. Consequently,the invention is not considered limited to the traffic light display,but is intended to cover any and all displays, color patterns, andarrangements suitable for displaying similar types of information.

MFDAT uses either a private or public communications network (e.g., theInternet) for communication between the site and remotely-locatedtechnical support personnel. This communications network provides theon-site technician with a method of sharing the readings being observedlocally with equipment experts and engineers located at different sites.This helps both the on-site technician and the remote engineer byproviding high-level collaboration without requiring the engineer totravel to the site of the system being tested. This communicationfacility also eliminates the need for the on-site technician to describethe “picture” (e.g., a waveform) he or she is seeing, often losinginformation in his or her description or interpretation. Thiscommunications facility also provides remote engineer with the abilityto compare the current reading (results) from other sites with the sameequipment that has been captured in the past, thus expanding the samplesize significantly and providing greater confidence in the historicalreadings. This allows the centralization of remote support andeliminates travel time, expense and access.

Essentially MFDAT provides a new way of conducting maintenance on large,complex electronic systems. The benefits of MFDAT compared to methods ofthe prior art are: support for the technician in a single centralizedlocation; a reduced number of individual test equipment pieces requiredfor testing; increased measurement accuracy through controlled setup andevaluation of the readings; a collaborative method of off-site supporteliminating a need for travel by a remotely-located technician; standardmethods of test development; and saving of measured data allowing reviewof system performance across time as well as comparativetroubleshooting.

MFDAT reduces the time required for calibration and alignment of complexsystems as diverse as PCS and cellular communications systems,broadcasting systems, commercial, surveillance, acquisition, trackingand weapons guidance and air traffic control radars, sonars as well asautomated assembly lines, flight simulation systems, robotic systems,and remote monitoring systems.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an intelligent,analysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systems.

It is another object of the invention to provide an intelligent analysistool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systems wherein thefunctions of individual, single-purpose test instruments are combined ina single test system.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systemswherein functions of oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, frequencyanalyzers, power meters, digital multimeters, and logic analyzers areincluded in a single test system.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systemswherein setup of test instruments is accomplished substantiallyautomatically.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systemswherein the diagnosis and maintenance of a complex system is highlyautomated by performing standard tests predefined for a particularcomplex system.

It is another object of the invention to provide an intelligent analysistool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systems wherein testmeasurements may be stored and historical measurements compared withcurrent measurements.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systems,wherein test probes are connected to predetermined points in a complexsystem to be maintained or troubleshoot.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systemswherein system documentation such as technical manuals is provided;related text and/or diagrams being provided based upon a particular testbeing conducted and a test point being evaluated.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an intelligentanalysis tool to aid in maintenance and repair of complex systems havingcommunication capability via a public or private network therebyallowing collaborative interaction between support technicians on-siteand technicians located remotely from the site.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the invention,will become apparent from the following description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like pails throughout the several views, andwherein:

FIG. 1 is screen shot of the Multiple Function Distributed Analysis Tool(MFDAT) or System Analysis Tool (SAT) implementation of exemplaryembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a typical test development process performedin test development mode in accordance with some of the embodiments ofthe invention;

FIG. 3 is a more detailed flow chart of the process used by the engineerto add or modify a test procedure;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a process of performing a maintenanceprocedure of the prior art;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the maintenance modes procedure of MFDAT inaccordance with some of the embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a MFDAT in accordance with some of the embodiments ofthe invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a control program in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a control program in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates documentation in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a system in accordance with some of the embodimentsof the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any configuration or design described hereinas “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other configurations or designs.

This invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodimentsare shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments ofthe invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended toencompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof.Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include bothcurrently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in thefuture (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function,regardless of structure).

Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the likerepresent conceptual views or perspective views illustrating some ofthis invention. The functions of the various elements shown in thefigures may vary in shape, attachment, size, and other physicalfeatures. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand that theexemplary systems, and/or methods described herein are for illustrativepurposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particularnamed manufacturer or other relevant physical limitation (e.g.,material, such as metal, ceramic, other man-made products, naturalmaterials, and combinations thereof).

The invention features an integrated test system useful for maintainingand servicing complex, large-scale electronic systems. Such systemstypically may be found in fields such as radar, sonar, cable television,broadcasting, television, and satellite communications systems, as wellas many other fields. One implementation of the inventive system is aMultiple Function Distributed Analysis Tool (MFDAT) which is used forpurposes of disclosure. However, it will be recognized that many otherimplementations of the system and method of the invention are possible.Consequently, the invention includes any and all other implementationssupported on any computer system supporting any operating systemplatform.

MFDAT consists of three primary subsystems: test instruments, hardware,and software. Each subsystem is described in detail hereinbelow. Thephysical realization of MFDAT is a single chassis containing aprocessor, human interface components (e.g., display, keyboard, mouse,etc.), a number of virtual test instruments, and access to the Internetor some other preferred network. As used herein the term processor isintended to represent a microprocessor or equivalent as well as any andall support needed to form a functional computational system. In theembodiment chosen for purposes of disclosure, the processor is amicrocomputer based on an Intel processor chip running MicrosoftWindows® as an operating system. The Windows® graphical user interface(GUI) is used by MFDAT. It will be recognized that other processors,operating systems, and user interfaces may be chosen to meet aparticular operating requirement or environment, and the invention isnot limited to Intel processors and/or the Windows® operating system.

MFDAT replaces the functions of multiple, stand-alone, general purposetest instruments with a single-chassis, computer-supported test system.Typical stand-alone instruments replaced by MFDAT are: oscilloscopes,spectrum analyzers, digital multimeters, logic analyzers, networkanalyzers, radio frequency analyzers, power meters, and the like, allwell known to those of skill in the system maintenance arts. It will berecognized that while the functions of specific stand-alone testinstruments are typically included in the MFDAT chassis, any piece ofgeneral purpose or specialized test equipment may be implemented andincluded therein. A varying complement of test instruments may berequired to service different complex, large-scale systems. Therefore,the invention is not considered limited to the specific test equipmentexamples used for purposes of disclosure. Rather, the invention includesany combination of general and/or specialized test instruments.

While the functions of the aforementioned test instruments may berealized by purely digital means within MFDAT, for purposes ofsimplicity, the instrument will be treated as though a physicalmanifestation of that particular instrument exists. In other words,MFDAT may be said to include an oscilloscope even though an oscilloscopemay not be physically present. MFDAT, however, provides the functionsnormally performed by an oscilloscope. The term “virtual testinstrument” is applied to such implementations.

Each virtual test instrument is configured by the processor undercontrol of stored parameters or by the technician using the pointingdevice (e.g., the mouse) and the GUI. Measurement results from eachMFDAT test instrument are displayed graphically and generally stored forlater reference.

The MFDAT software has two primary logical subsystems: the humaninterface and a relational database. The MFDAT software implements asystems analysis tool (SAT)/the main screen of which is shown in FIG. 1,generally at reference number 100.

A mode selection scroll box 102 allows selection of three operatingmodes: maintenance, test development, and administrator. Each operatingmode is described in detail hereinbelow. In FIG. 1, maintenance mode isselected.

A Maintenance Index Page (MIP) scroll box 104 allows the technician toselect the system under test. MFDAT may, of course, be provided with thenecessary data (i.e., test procedures, documentation, etc.) to operatewith several diverse complex systems.

A specific test or maintenance procedure (i.e., maintenance request orMR) may be selected using the Mer/Sycom scroll box 106.

A particular test instrument may be selected using the Test EquipmentSelect scroll box 108, labeled SAT Instrument in FIG. 1. In maintenancemode, only the specific test instruments pertinent to the systemundergoing test and the maintenance procedure selected are available forviewing and selection via the Test Equipment Select scroll box 108.

The instrument control scroll box 110 allows the technician to selectstandard, predetermined instrument settings for the selected test. Inmaintenance mode, no manual override of these settings is possible. Thisensures that tests are conducted consistently and that a lessexperienced technician cannot inadvertently set an instrument to anincorrect setting.

A series of four radio buttons 112 allow the technician to select thepart of the procedure to be performed. The four selections are MERPreliminary, MER Perform Test, System Diagram, and Schematic Diagram.Each of these selections is discussed in more detail herein below.

The MR Test Step panel 114 provides the technician with text describingthe test step in process, often the step-by-step procedure to performthe selected test.

A series of function tabs 116-126 actually cause MFDAT to perform thedesired step or take an action. In the embodiment chosen for purposes ofdisclosure, the function tabs are: Probe Connected 116, ProbeDisconnected 118, Stop Test 120, Step Complete 122, Previous Step 124,and Help 126. It will be recognized that other function tabs may beadded or some disclosed function tabs removed in alternate embodimentsof the novel system.

A traffic light display is centrally located in a lower region of screen100. Red 128, Yellow 130, and Green 132 indicators function as ago/no-go indicator to the technician for any selected test. Greenindicator 132 indicates that the test result is well withinpredetermined limits. In an exemplary embodiment, a green lightindicates a one standard deviation improvement over all previous testaverages. It will be recognized that the traffic light display may beprogrammed to provide other indications based upon different criteriathan those chosen for purposes of disclosure.

Yellow indicator 130 indicates that while the test results are withinpredetermined limits, a possibly significant change between the currentresult and an historic result has been detected.

Red indicator 128 indicates that the test result is outsidepredetermined limits. In maintenance mode, a red light prevents thetechnician from proceeding to the next test until the condition isrectified.

Two result display areas 134, 136 display a historical result 134, and acurrent result 136, respectively. The nature of the informationdisplayed depends on the test being performed and may be one or morewaveforms as seen displayed in regions 134, 136 or numeric data, ortext, neither shown

Probe Connected button 116 is used to inform the system that the probeis connected to the respective test point defined in the test stepdisplayed in MER Test Step panel 114.

Probe Disconnected button 118 informs the system that the probe is nolonger connected. Consequently, the system may now perform any necessarydata analysis and/or background processing.

Stop/Test button 120 is a binary (i.e., two-state) button that bothstarts and stops the test process. The test process includes savingcurrent test result data and comparing of that current test result datato historical test result data. Stop/Test button 120 also serves to stopthe test in process should the technician desire to do so. Stopping atest may be required if, for example, the technician inserted a probeinto Test Point 2 instead of Test Point 1 and wishes to terminate themeasurement and/or analysis.

Step Complete and Previous Step buttons 122, 124, respectively, areenabled when the analysis step currently in process is complete andeither the Green 132 or Yellow 130 traffic light indicators areilluminated. When the current test step is complete, the next step isdisplayed in MER Test Step panel 114. Previous Step button 124 allowsthe technician to review the previous step for purposes of reference.

Help button 126 displays a selection list that includes a textdescription, if any, for the test point; the appropriate paragraph andreference(s) for the component or sub-system associated with the testpoint; and the functional and schematic diagrams.

The instrument section 108 allows the technician, by selecting thedesired instrument (i.e., view), to view the underlying data from theselected instrument for the current test point. In the embodiment chosenfor purposes of disclosure, nine instruments or documentation views areavailable for selection from the drop down menu or tabular display:

-   -   a. Oscilloscope: The oscilloscope displays the current        oscilloscope reading, the oscilloscope control settings, as well        as the historical oscilloscope display (i.e., waveform) for the        current test point;    -   b. Power Meter: The power meter displays the current power meter        reading, the power meter control settings, and the historical        power meter reading for the current test point;    -   c. Frequency Counter: The frequency counter displays the current        frequency counter reading, the frequency counter control        settings, and the historical frequency meter reading for the        current test point;    -   d. Spectrum Analyzer: The spectrum analyzer displays the current        spectrum analyzer reading, the spectrum analyzer control        settings, and the historical spectrum analyzer reading for the        current test point;    -   e. Multimeter: The multimeter displays the current multimeter        reading, the multimeter control settings, and the historical        multimeter reading for the current test point;    -   f. Logic Analyzer: The logic analyzer tab/sat instrument        displays the current logic analyzer reading, the logic analyzer        control settings, and the historical logic analyzer reading for        the current test point;    -   g. Schematic View: The schematic view tab displays the schematic        view associated with the current test point with the test point        graphic centered in the display for the current test point;    -   h. Functional View: The functional view tab displays the        functional (block) diagram current test point next up component,        subsystem or system with the component graphic centered in the        display and associated with the current test point; and    -   i. System Configurator: The system configuration tab displays        the contents of the latest maintenance requirement (typically        distributed on compact disk). This selection is used by the        administrator to update the database with any changes to the        maintenance procedures and is hidden when the user is not logged        into the system as an administrator.

As previously stated, MFDAT provides three distinct modes of operation:test development, administrator, and maintenance modes.

One significant advantage provided by MFDAT is the integration ofdiverse sets of reference information that a technician may use whentesting a complex system. This diverse information is provided to MFDATfrom different sources and may be characterized as text, graphics (e.g.,system diagrams), and mixed text/graphic documentation for the testinstruments themselves.

The first information type is text which describes the maintenanceprocedure being performed. For example, the text may included adescription of the test to be performed, what setup steps must beperformed on the system under test, which test instruments are required,a description of how each test instrument must be set up for eachspecific test point reading, what the expected results are, and in whatorder the steps are to be performed. This information may be availablefrom an already developed set of procedures for a particular system tobe tested. When such information is available, it is parsed and insertedinto the appropriate database. For a new system (e.g., a new radarsystem or simulator), the text may need to be written from scratch,which may be done in the test development mode.

The second information type is the graphical information used to displaywhere in the system under test the technician is currently working. Thesource of such diagrams is normally, but not always, the technicalmanuals or computer-based training curricula that are typically preparedfor each system to be tested. This graphical information is selectivelydisplayed in both a systemic view that indicates where in the systemwhere the technician is currently working and in a functional viewshowing which sub-system or component on which the technician iscurrently working. The systemic view provides the technician with a bigpicture diagram of the system under test while the functional viewprovides the specific circuit, component, or sub-system in far greaterdetail. Each of the systemic or functional displays is centered on thecurrent test point as described by the Test Step section 114 of themaintenance screen 100.

The third category of information may be either text of graphics anddescribes the operation of the currently selected virtual instrument(i.e., the instrument selected in SAT Instrument menu 108). Thisinformation is typically displayed when Help button 126 is selected.

This information, regardless of the category, may exist as files thatmay be converted and imported into the MFDAT. If files do not alreadyexist, information may require scanning from hard copy. Whether thefiles exist or are created by a scanning process, conversion may berequired before their importation into MFDAT. Regardless of theirorigin, a method to associate the correct diagrams to the current teststep/test point is required. This association is created in the testdevelopment mode using a graphics mapper. Each of the three informationcategories are integrated into MFDAT by assignment of unique identifiersto provide the technician with a quick reference to the system undertest, the test he or she is performing, and the virtual instruments inthe MFDAT. The inclusion of such extensive documentation within MFDATfrees the technician from the need for hard copy documentation. It iswell known that use of hard copy documentation often distracts thetechnician in the middle of a difficult test procedure. It then requiresboth time and effort for the technician to again focus his or herconcentration on the test itself.

The MFDAT Test Development Mode (TDM) may be used by an originalequipment manufacturer (OEM) engineer, or by some other technical expertto develop test procedures for each type of complex system. The termengineer is used hereinafter to describe such a person. Once tests aredeveloped, they may be distributed to the system sites. TDM providestools for editing text, graphics mapping, instrument control settings,results tolerances, and organization of the test procedure (i.e.,renumbering steps, reordering, etc.).

The documentation (i.e., information) integration is performed in theTDM when the engineer develops a new test. Referring now to FIG. 2,there is shown a flow chart 200 of a typical test development processperformed in TDM.

The TDM may be used to create new test procedures or to modify existingprocedures. Once an MFDAT system has been deployed in the field for aspecific system under test, a large amount of historic measurement datamay become available to the engineer. An analysis of this data may beused as the basis for adding a new test or modifying an existing test.When such data is available, the engineer reviews data collected byvarious MFDAT systems and identifies a trend in the data, step 202. Thisis done by analysis of the database data that is collected when an MFDATis used to test a system, that is, when the MFDAT is in maintenancemode.

Next, the engineer determines from the data analysis, step 202, thateither a new test of a specific section of the system under test isrequired, or that an existing test must be modified, step 204. Assumingthat historical data is not available to the engineer, the procedure ofFIG. 2 generally begins with step 204 and the engineer has used othercriteria to determine that a test is required.

The engineer next identifies the type of test that will be required andoutlines the steps necessary to conduct the test, step 206.

The engineer then determines what type of test instruments will he usedat each test step (e.g., oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, networkanalyzer, multimeter, frequency counter, or radio frequency analyzer,etc.), step 208.

The engineer then determines how the system under test is to be setup inorder to ensure that the test is properly conducted, step 210. If asystem under test has multiple operating modes, for example, in a systemadapted for transmission, there may be a fixed frequency, a randomfrequency mode, and pseudo-random frequency mode. The engineer maydesignate that the test is to be performed in fixed frequency mode anddirect the technician to set the transmitter to fixed frequency mode toconduct the test.

The engineer then identities the test instrument and the allowablemeasurement tolerance for the respective test step, step 212. Forexample, the allowable tolerance may be specified as +/−5% for any ofvoltage, frequency, or time.

The engineer optionally may provide a graphical representation of howthe test instrument display should appear when a measurement is withintolerance, step 214.

The engineer then determines what adjustments may be required to bringthe system under test into tolerance and writes the steps necessary toperform those adjustments, step 216.

The engineer develops a list of reference materials for the technician'suse while conducting the test, step 218. These reference materialstypically include the technical manual reference by volume, anytechnician's handbook that may be relevant/as well as the textdescription of the unit or component of the system under test.

The engineer then records the steps and the proper execution order! step220.

The engineer then “tests” his or her test procedure by stepping throughit and highlighting any errors encountered on the actual system undertest, step 222.

Finally, the engineer corrects any written documentation used/step 224,and distributes the test, step 226, as part of a test package to siteswhere the particular type of complex system to which the new testprocedure pertains is located. These test packages may be distributedusing hard media (e.g., CD ROM, DVD ROM, removable hard drive, externalstorage device such as a memory card having a USB interface, or anyother suitable, portable storage medium). Alternately, the new orrevised test package may be downloaded to the remotely-located MFDATsystems over a communications link. It will also be recognized thatother methods may be used to provide new or revised test packages toMFDAT systems in the field, and the invention is not considered limitedto the distribution methods or media types chosen for purposes ofdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed flow chart 300 of the process used by theengineer to add or modify a test procedure in the MFDAT system chosenfor purposes of disclosure. The engineer logs into the MFDAT in testdevelopment mode (TDM), step 302.

The engineer next selects the maintenance requirement (MR) (i.e., testprocedure) to be modified or alternately, selects “new” if a newmaintenance requirement is being added, step 304. For a new maintenanceprocedure, a name is assigned by the engineer. This assigned name isused to create an instrument control file, database row, or XML files,none of which are shown, as well as to later identify the specificmaintenance procedure.

For each step of the maintenance procedure, step 304, the engineer thenselects one or more of the virtual instruments available within MFDAT toperform the required test, step 306. Instrument selection is made by theengineer in the Test Equipment Select area 108 (FIG. 1) of screen 100(FIG. 1).

The engineer then writes a brief text description of the step in the MRTest Step region 114 (FIG. 1) of screen 100, step 308.

Documentation information is linked to each test step using a graphicsmapper, not shown, step 310. The linking of particular documentation toeach test step depends upon the portion of the test being performed.

The engineer next selects a test point (if the test point exists), oradds a new test point, step 312.

Settings are next established for each virtual instrument involved inthe test step, step 314.

The acceptable range of values for the measurement is established by theengineer, step 316, and the test step is saved, step 318.

Saving the test information, step 318, includes several sub-steps. Inthe embodiment chosen for purposes of disclosure, SQL is used as adatabase management tool. Therefore, all portions of the maintenanceprocedure steps are saved as part of an SQL transaction. The maintenancerequirement text is stored, step 320, and the linking information (e.g.,coordinates) are stored, step 322. The instrument control information isstored, step 324, and the tolerances are stored, step 326.

If there are more steps to be added, step 328, control is retuned toselect virtual instrument step 306 and the process continues until thereare no more steps to be added or modified, step 328 and the procedureterminates, step 330.

TDM also serves another important function in the MFDAT, that ofobtaining baseline data on a new system. As has been discussedhereinabove, when a technician utilizes MFDAT in maintenance mode, eachmeasurement is compared to a historical result for the same measurement(i.e., test procedure). Initially, the historical information for eachtest may be generated in TDM by the engineer.

One motivation for eventually modifying a test is provided byaccumulated data gathered by MFDATs deployed in the field. Analysis ofthe gathered data may indicate that an additional test is required toproperly assess the functioning of the system under test; that atolerance is too narrow or too wide, etc. The engineer may modify anymaintenance requirement as already discussed.

In TDM, the MFDAT also provides a remote monitoring capability, usuallyaccessible across a public or private network typically using TCP/IP ora similar communications protocol. In many cases, the Internet may beused to as a medium for such communications. It will be recognized bythose of skill in the data communications arts that many alternativesare available to establish such a communications link. Consequently, theinvention is not considered limited to any particular communicationslink or communications strategy. Rather, the invention covers any andall communications links suitable for connecting an MFDAT to a remotesite.

Using the remote communications facility, a remotely located engineermay concurrently view test results with the on-site technician and maymake additional tests not necessarily available to the on-sitetechnician as well as modify any of the maintenance procedures stored inthe on-site MFDAT.

The final operating mode available in the MFDAT is the administratormode (AM). AM may be used by the on-site technician to troubleshoot thesystem under test and conduct non-standard testing, fault detection,isolation, or correction. In AM, each virtual test instrument in MFDATmay be used as though it was a standard, stand-alone test instrument.This ensures that the technician has at his or her disposal all requiredtest instruments without needing six or more pieces of stand-alone testequipment crowding the site.

AM also provides the on-site technician a “virtual” system under testbecause MFDAT displays the historical data for the test point undertest, assuming that the test point has previously been measured. Thishistorical data may he the system baseline data gathered by the engineerin TDM as discussed hereinabove. This virtual system provides thetechnician with the latest measured data, trending and analysis ofmultiple historical values, as well as the correct control settings forthe virtual instrument as defaults. This provides the technician withthe ability to view and analyze the current test point and verify thatthe current reading is correct as compared to the historical reading(s).

When the current testing involves the first visit to a particular testpoint, the technician may save the current virtual instrument settingsand test data results, perform fundamental signal analysis on theresults, and select whether the test point has “passed” or “failed”.Whether the test point passes or fails, all the data may be saved.However, for local on-site comparison and analysis, only the “passed”data is used. The “failed” data is stored in the database and can beanalyzed by the engineer and used to develop a system level performancemeasure and to observe trending on the server level system.

Tests developed in AM are not available at other similar sites untilreviewed and approved by the engineer and compiled via TDM. Thetechnician, however, has access to all of the standard maintenancerequirements. This access provides information allowing error-free setupand testing as well as making available historical data from each testpoint.

Other functions provided by MFDAT in AM include support and maintenancefunctions. These maintenance functions allow updating the computerprogram, upgrading the MFDAT hardware, and network connection controlfor remote access. AM also provides remote software system and databasesynchronization to support both intra-site and inter-site collaborationof archived records.

The Maintenance Mode (MM) is the least capable mode of operationprovided by MFDAT. MM is designed to control the execution ofpre-existing maintenance requirements in a way that assures consistentcompletion of the tests. As such, MM provides the least control overtest execution and thereby maximizes the accuracy of the data collectedduring the test procedures. MM automates the testing process formaintenance activities as described hereinbelow. However, first, themanual procedure of the prior art is presented as shown the in the flowchart 400 of FIG. 4.

First, the technician prints a hard copy of the maintenance requirement(MR), step 402. The MR lists the test instruments required to conductthe test, step 404, and the setup procedure for the system under test,step 406.

Next, the technician sets up the system under test in accordance withsome of the embodiments of the setup requirements of the MR, step 408.

Next, the technician sets up each required test instrument in accordancewith some of the embodiments of the MR. The MR lists the specific testinstrument to be used and its detailed settings for each given testpoint, step 410. If additional test instruments are required for thetest, step 412, control is returned to step 410 until all testinstruments required for the test have been manually set up.

The technician next connects the probe to the test point being measured,step 414, and performs final adjustments to the test instrument toacquire display (digital readout, waveform, frequency counter, etc.)that is either most convenient for his or her interpretation or is inaccordance with some of the embodiments of a drawing of the anticipatedview from the MR, step 416.

The technician next compares the current reading from the testinstrument to the anticipated reading from the MR, step 418. This maybe, for example, a graph, a set of numbers, a set of tolerances, aminimum value or a maximum value, etc.

Next, the technician interprets the measured value from the testinstrument and compares that value to the reference in the MR, step 420.

The technician then makes a decision, step 422, as to whether thecurrent test point reading is correct and if so proceeds to next testpoint, step 424. Otherwise, the technician begins troubleshooting, step426.

If the measured value is correct, step 422, the technician may thencontinue to the next step, 424, and the process continues at step 410.This routine continues until all tests required by the MR have beenperformed. If, however, the value is incorrect, step 422, andtroubleshooting is required, step 426, the technician will typically goback to the test point immediately preceding the test point giving theincorrect reading and recheck that test point, step 428.

If, however, the immediately preceding test point is now incorrect, thetechnician will then typically work backwards through the foregoing teststeps in reverse order until a test point yielding a correct result isfound (i.e., a “good” test point). When the technician has found a goodtest point, he or she will generally begin troubleshooting in the areaof the system between the last good test point and the first bad testpoint.

MFDAT however greatly simplifies this measurement procedure. Referringnow to FIG. 5, there is shown a flow chart of the maintenance modesprocedure of MFDAT, shown generally at reference number 500.

The technician first selects from the list of stored maintenancerequirements (MRs) stored in a database within the MFDAT hardware, step502.

MFDAT next verifies that the virtual instruments required to conduct thetest are operable and calibrated via software routines, step 504. Aspreviously discussed, all the virtual instruments may be housed in asingle, portable chassis. Generally, all the required instruments arecalibrated and operationally checked before use.

In the embodiment of MFDAT chosen for purposes of disclosure, thesoftware generates an SQL transaction, step 506, to retrieve at leastsome of the following SQL transaction data for the current test point:text data describing the step, a functional or schematic diagram, asystem diagram, the instrument control settings for the current step andtest point, and historical results for the current step and/or testpoint. This retrieved information is distributed to the respectivemodules of the MFDAT application step 508. It will be recognized thatwhile SQL has been chosen as a database management tool in theembodiment chosen for purposes of disclosure, that any other suitabledatabase management tool/query language may also be used. Consequently,the invention is not limited to a particular database system or querylanguage but covers any and all suitable query languages and/or databasesystems.

The technician may review the setup process if desired and verify thesetup, step 510.

Each MFDAT module receives data from both the maintenance panel 100(FIG. 1) and from SQL conduits, not shown, using an indexing scheme anda key value formed by the MR identification, the test point, and thestep identification, step 512.

The maintenance panel 100 displays the current test step, step 514.

Several optional display possibilities are available to the technician.By selecting an appropriate radio button (or tab depending on theparticular graphic user interface) 112 on the maintenance screen 100(FIG. 1), the technician may view his or her desired screen. The systemdiagram view radio button or tab displays a system diagram (e.g., afunctional diagram) that is centered on the system test point of thetest step currently being performed. The schematic diagram (i.e.,detailed diagram) radio button or tab selects the schematic diagram ofthe component under test, also centered on the test point beingevaluated. The schematic diagram may also provide a graphicrepresentation of the component where the test point being evaluated islocated, also centered on the display. Regardless of the documentationmode selected, the portion of the system under test is centered in thedisplay, step 516.

Optionally, the functional view tab causes a schematic diagram to bedisplayed with the test point typically being centrally displayed, step518.

Also available for viewing by the technician is the historical data forthe selected test point, step 520.

By optionally selecting the instrument tab, the technician may view thecurrent setting for the selected test instrument, step 522.

Once the technician has selected a view, steps 516, 518, 520, 522, he orshe connects the test probe to the appropriate test point in the systemunder test and selects test button 120 (FIG. 1) to begin the automatedtest process, step 524.

MFDAT then gathers data from the test point and converts the datagathered at the test probe into a normalized data set in accordance withsome of the embodiments of the selected test instrument, step 526.

The compare data mode of MFDAT then compares the currently collecteddata to stored historical data, step 528. Typically, at least 1000 datapoints are compared. The allowable tolerance for the data being measuredis stored within the MFDAT database, typically as apart of thehistorical data. The comparison continues continuously thereby allowingthe technician to make adjustments to the system under test until thedata from the test point is within the specified tolerance. At thecompletion of the test step, the technician typically activates the StepComplete button 122 (FIG. 1).

Once the current data is within the allowable tolerance, acurrent=historic flag may be set and pass to proceed (PTP) logic withinMFDAT is initiated, step 530. In the MFDAT embodiment chosen forpurposes of disclosure, the PTP reviews the currently collected testpoint data for quality. If analysis of the currently collected data,step 532, shows a difference (i.e., improvement) of more than onestandard deviation (calculated from the average of the previous Nreadings), from the historical mean value, then the tolerance values areset to values of the current reading ±0.5 standard deviations, step 534.If, however, the mean of the currently collected data falls within onestandard deviation of the historical mean, then the historical data andthe currently collected data are averaged to create a new tolerancevalue, step 534. The new tolerance value is stored for use in analyzingfuture measurements at the test point.

At the successful completion of the data collection and analysis (i.e.,steps 532 and 534), MFDAT stores the results, typically by initiatingone or more SQL transactions to the MFDAT database. First, the currentresults are stored based upon the key formed by the MR, the test point,and the step identification, step 536.

Next, a trend is calculated to verify that the PTP analysis modulecorrectly analyzed the comparison, step 538.

Finally, the historical results in the MFDAT database are updated, step540 and MFDAT activates a next step flag indicating that MFDAT is readyto proceed to the next test step upon indication by the technician thathe or she is ready. The technician so indicates by activating the StepComplete button 122 (FIG. 1).

If however, the last test step has been completed, step 542, MFDAT setsa last step flag, step 544. When the last step flag is set, step 544,MFDAT determines whether all steps in the current MR have been passed(i.e., performs and overall pass/fail analysis), step 546. If all stepshave been passed, step 546, the technician is allowed to exit the MR. Ifhowever, one or more of the steps of the MR, have failed, the technicianmay not exit the MR procedure but is returned to the failed step forretesting and/or troubleshooting or further adjustment of the systemunder test. The remote mode may be called upon to obtain expert supportfrom an off-site technician in diagnosing and remediating the problem.

Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operatingrequirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in theart, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen forpurposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications whichdo not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a MFDAT in accordance with some of the embodiments ofthe invention. The MFDAT 600 comprises at least two virtual testinstruments 601 adapted for setup and control. Each of the at least twovirtual test instruments 601 are adapted to selectively measure a signalat a system 1000 (FIG. 10) under test disposed externally thereto. Eachof the at least two virtual test instruments 601 provide an outputsignal representative of the respective measured signal.

The MFDAT 600 comprises a processor 602 operatively connected to the atleast two virtual test instruments 601 and being configured to selectand control the at least two virtual. test instruments 601. The MFDAT600 comprises a means for storing data 612 operatively connected to theprocessor 602 and having stored therein at least one control program 614associated with the at least two virtual test instruments 601, and datarepresentative of the output signal (measurement results) 616. Thevirtual test instruments 601 may include oscilloscopes, spectrumanalyzers, frequency analyzers, power meters, digital multimeters, logicanalyzers and network analyzers.

The MFDAT 600 comprises a human interface 604 operatively connected tothe processor 602. The human interface 604 includes at least a display606. The at least two virtual test instruments 601, the processor 602,the means for storing 612 and the human interface 604 are disposedwithin a portable single-chassis (housing) 630. The human interface 604includes a display 606 and keyboard 608.

FIG. 7 illustrates a control program in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention. The at least one control program 614comprises at least two operating modes, each selectively available to anoperator. The at least two operating modes comprise: a maintenance mode702, an administrator mode 704, and a test development mode 706. Themaintenance mode 702, the administrator mode 704, and the testdevelopment mode 706 each comprise means for controlling access thereto,whereby each of the at least two operating modes is available only tothe operator authorized to access a respective one of the at least twooperating modes.

FIG. 8 illustrates a control program in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention. The at least one control program 614comprises at least one maintenance routine 800. The at least onemaintenance routine 800 comprises at least two measurement steps, eachof the at least two measurement steps being performed by at least one ofthe at least two virtual test instruments 601. The at least onemaintenance routine 800 comprises a unique identifier. The at least onemaintenance routine 800 comprises a plurality of maintenance routines802-1 . . . 802-N, each having a respective unique identifier and beingselectively available to an operator of the MFDAT 600.

FIG. 9 illustrates documentation 618 in accordance with some of theembodiments of the invention. The means for storing data 612 furtherstores documentation 618 associated with at least one of: the system1000 (FIG. 10) under test, and at least one of the two virtual testinstruments 601.

The MFDAT 600 further comprising means for communicating 624 testresults taken by at least one of the at least two virtual testinstruments 601 for remote monitoring concurrently with an operator ofthe MFDAT 600.

The documentation 618 comprises at least one of: text 902, a systemlevel diagram 904, a functional diagram 906, a schematic diagram 908,component illustration 912, and a test description 910.

The at least two virtual test instruments 601 comprise instruments fromthe group: oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, digital multimeters,logic, analyzers, and network analyzers.

FIG. 10 illustrates a system in accordance with some of the embodimentsof the invention. The MFDAT 600 further comprising probes 626 configuredto be selectively coupled to a test point of test points 802-1 . . .802-N in the system 1000 and means for performing a test at the testpoint using a selected one of the at least two virtual test instruments601.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreferences to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may hemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A method for maintenance of a complex electronic system using anintegrated test tool having a single portable housing with at least twovirtual test instruments, a processor and a display integrated in saidhousing, the method comprising the steps of: a. measuring a signal at aselected test point in the system under test disposed externally theretousing at least one virtual test instrument of the at least two virtualtest instruments, the at least one virtual test instrument is assignedto the test; b. providing a measured value representative of saidrespective measured signal by said at least one virtual test instrumentto create a measured value; c. comparing said measured value to at leastone of the group: a known good, previously-measured value associatedwith said selected test point stored in said integrated test tool, and apreviously determined value stored in said integrated test tool; and d.analyzing a result of the said comparing step to determine a conditionof said system.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprisingthe step of automatically displaying a diagram associated with theselected test point.
 3. The method as recited in claim 2, furthercomprising the step of: a. determining a selection of a maintenancemode, an administrator mode, or a test development mode.
 4. The methodas recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of: a. providing forviewing and selection of specific test instruments of the at least twovirtual test instruments pertinent to the system undergoing the test anda maintenance procedure in the maintenance mode.
 5. The method asrecited in claim 3, further comprising the step of: a. in theadministrator mode, troubleshooting the system under the test andconducting non-standard testing, fault detection, isolation, orcorrection.
 6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising thestep of: a. in the test development mode, creating diagrams associatedwith a current test point; b. assigning the diagrams with a uniqueidentifier to provide a quick reference to the system under the test,the test to he performed, and the at least one virtual test instrument.7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step ofcommunicating test results taken by the at least one virtual testinstrument for remote monitoring concurrently with an operator of saidintegrated test tool.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein themeasuring step includes the step of: a. performing an automated testprocess using said at least one virtual test instrument, said at leastone virtual test instrument being selected from the group:oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, digital multimeters, logic analyzers,and network analyzers.
 9. The method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the step on a. using information stored in said tool toconfigure said at least one virtual test instrument to perform ameasurement associated with said selected test point prior to performingsaid measurement thereat.
 10. The method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the step of: a. storing said measured value in the tool toprovide a previously measured value associated with said test point. 11.The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said comparing step comprisesthe step of comparing said measured value to at least two known good,previously-measured values associated with said test point, said atleast two known good, previously-measured values being stored in saidtool.
 12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the stepof: a. storing by said tool documentation associated with said system;and b. displaying by said tool said documentation specificallyassociated with said selected test point.
 13. The method as recited inclaim 1, further comprising the step of: a. displaying, on said displayof said tool, two result display areas configured to display themeasured value and the known good, previously measured value.